The Final Suitor
by Adrien-was-here
Summary: Elsa's councilmen have arranged for suitors to come and see Elsa, without her knowledge or approval of it. But something happens that Elsa didn't expect, she likes one of the suitors. Even if they are not what the council had expected.
1. The Final Suitor

**So! For those who don't know, this is re-written... also, yeah it's not in tune with Frozen 2, but uhhh... I guess this is an AU now? By the way, if you haven't seen it yet, Frozen 2 is AMAZING! The music is soo good and really feels like a Broadway production which is basically how Disney wanted to have his movies appear, so... took them long enough, am I right?!**

 **Okay, I'll shut up now... I hope this is better** **':D**

 **;;;**

Elsa sat at her desk, rifling through papers and grumbling. While she knew she was queen, she still wasn't used to the paperwork and didn't like in the least. One paper caught her eye.

 _Queen Elsa_

 _You have been requested at a council meeting at two-thirty on November the fifth._

 _Please do not be late._

 _Your Council._

A snowflake fell onto the parchment and Elsa tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down, but it didn't work. What right did her council have, calling _her_ to a meeting she didn't organize first? She should be the one calling the meetings, not some group of middle-aged men that were at a lower rank than she was.

"Hoo! It's cold in here!"

Elsa turned slightly, spotting her sister closing the door to her study. "Sorry about that," she murmured.

"Something wrong?" Anna put her hand on Elsa's shoulder, not telling her quite how cold her sister's body was to the touch.

Elsa sighed. "It's the council again. They organized a meeting without my direction. I don't know what this one is about either; they didn't tell me in their _letter_." Elsa jerked a hand in the direction of the letter.

Anna picked it up, resisting the urge to shiver. She made a little sound like a scoff, chucking the paper back on the now snow-covered desk. "Men," she said curtly, with a hint of a grin at Elsa. "Am I right?"

Elsa chuckled faintly. "It would seem so." She noticed her sister was shivering and took one deep breath after the other, trying to get the snow to stop. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking of you."

Anna smiled at her sister. "It's alright. You have bigger things to worry about." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Like the fact that it's two o'clock?"

Elsa jerked in her chair, leaping to her feet. "Oh! I need to get ready!"

"Elsa?" Elsa looked to her sister, who was smiling knowingly. "Make sure you look like a queen."

Elsa nodded with a smile. She went into the joining room where her bedroom was, putting on her ice dress, but putting her hair up and out of the way, pulling the regal card. She brushed purple eyeshadow over her eyelids, ran a bit of pink over her lips, and flicked the mascara brush up. She blinked at herself in the mirror before snapping her fingers and creating a pretty ice tiara. She was queen and wasn't about to let anyone forget that.

Elsa walked with purpose to the council room, slightly peeved at seeing the men already there and engaged in conversation. The room went silent as the doors opened and she stepped in, sitting at the head of the table. She gazed around the table, meeting everyone's eyes and hoping to make them squirm in their seats; she succeeded a little.

"Well?" she asked. "Why was I summoned here like a dog?" She put bite in her words, showing that she was still quite angry being addressed like that.

One of the head councilors, whom Elsa thought was named Jorn, cleared his throat. "The truth is, Your Majesty, that we have come to talk about… a king."

Elsa raised an eyebrow slightly. "You have a queen already," she told them. "You don't need a king."

Another councilman, this one named Eric, swallowed. "You see, Queen Elsa, we do need a king for… heirs."

Elsa felt her blood start to boil. "I just gain my throne and you're already thinking of my death?" She had to remember to reign herself in, not get out of control just yet.

"We're concerned for the future, Queen Elsa," Jorn chimed in. "With Arendelle being known for having… an Ice Queen, we are not getting as many trades in and out of here."

Elsa slowly curled a fist to contain herself. "That's not true. We stopped trade with the Southern Isles because their prince nearly killed me and the princess. I personally have been going over the trades and they are better than they have been for the past fifteen years."

"While we agree with you, Your Majesty," Eric said, placing a hand on the table to prove a point. "The truth is that eventually we will need to have an heir, and joining with another kingdom would make ours that much more powerful. Which is why we have contacted neighbouring countries and kingdoms about this matter, and they have begun to send suitors."

Despite her best efforts, the temperature was slowly dropping as Elsa processed this information. "You mean you consulted the kings without me? Sent for suitors without my permission?" Elsa's voice was dangerously soft.

"Your Highness, it was in your best interest –"

A wind whipped through the room, causing the men to cry out in surprise and slight fear. Elsa stood to her feet, her hand on the table. "I am your _queen_ ," she nearly snarled. Her eyes were icy slits as they roved around the room. "I will be addressed as so." She blinked, her mind working. "I suppose the suitors cannot be recalled?"

"N-no, Your Majesty," Jorn stammered.

"Then I shall see them one at a time when they arrive. And next time," Elsa added, clicking toward the open doors as snowflakes followed her in a flurry, " _I_ make the decisions."

The servants knew to stay away from their very angry queen as she went to the only person she knew would understand her. She sat on the bed and composed herself, the snow fading eventually.

Anna rubbed Elsa's shoulders. "It will be okay, Elsa. Just put on your Ice Queen costume and scare them all away!"

Elsa shook her head. "It's not that easy, Anna. Even though they shouldn't have done that behind my back, their reasons for doing it are right."

"But do you really want an arranged marriage?" Anna asked. "I thought you wanted to find true love, like I did."

"Of course I do," Elsa murmured. "But not everything gets a happy ending quite like yours, Anna. Maybe I will find love in an arranged marriage. Mother and Father did, so why couldn't I?"

There was a slight pause before Anna spoke again. "What do you think they'll be like?"

"I don't know… I don't want someone to marry me because of my looks, or because they'll get more power in Arendelle," Elsa admitted. "I would want them to marry me because they see it as a good opportunity to join our kingdoms, nothing less."

"That makes it sound like a business deal!" Anna protested. "Like you're an object to be bought!"

"That's how it works, Anna," Elsa said sadly. "You can't just fall in love and expect it to work out okay. Life doesn't work like that. At times, marriage really is just for the good of something. Perhaps he and I will grow to be friends and have a fondness over years."

Elsa could hear Anna shaking her head behind her. "It just isn't right. Not for my sister. Not after all we've been through. Your happy ending can't end in a business deal!"

"They get here within the week…"

Anna sighed. "I guess we'll have to see how this goes."

It went… interesting to say the least. One man after the other thought it was a good idea because 'why not?'. Others were just captivated by what Elsa's appearance was, and even more were nearly too afraid to approach her because of her 'dangerous magic'. Just when Elsa was losing hope, she got a surprise.

"Queen Elsa?"

Elsa looked up to see a young woman standing before her. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she was good-looking with wavy auburn hair that went past her shoulders, timid, but hopeful nearly purple blue eyes, and a peachy complexion. She was wearing men's clothing with a purple overcoat with silver and black lining that opened up at her hips and hung to her feet, black pants, grey boots, and darker grey leather gloves.

"Can I help you?" Elsa inquired. "Are you introducing the last suitor?"

She chuckled, flushing a little and glanced at the ground. "Um… I _am_ the last suitor."

Elsa sat up taller in her throne, curious. "But… you're a woman. I thought my suitors would be male."

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously with her gloved hand. "I snuck in. I wanted to meet you personally and privately. I just told them I was an ambassador." She met Elsa's eyes, something none of the other suitors did. "My name is Dahlia. Of the Southern Isles."

"What?" Elsa rose from her seat, wind whipping her dress around and ruffling Dahlia's hair. "Why would my council send for a ship from the Southern Isles?" she demanded. "Do they forget what happened only a few months ago?" She narrowed her eyes at the young woman. "Or have you come here to finish what your brother started?"

Dahlia's face paled. "No! I… I'm not here to do anything of the sort!" She rubbed her arm, her head down. "Prince Hans is not my brother; I have no relation to the royal family. I… I'm a bookkeeper. I'm no one important."

The snow flurries around Elsa faded away, her heart quieting. "I apologize, but you must understand my caution. After what Prince Hans nearly did to my sister, we've cut all ties with the Southern Isles." She paused, sitting back in her throne. "How did you get here?"

Dahlia shuffled her feet, but looked back up to meet Elsa's eyes. "There was a boat in our port that I heard was going to Arendelle, and I managed to get on. When I arrived here, I just told them I was an ambassador and that the real suitor couldn't make it."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, the smallest of smiles making its way to her lips. "Why?"

"I had heard a lot about you. You were supposedly this crazy Ice Queen who had frozen her entire kingdom because someone had made you angry, and no one wanted to get near you. You were supposed to be unpredictable and terrifying, not caring for anyone but yourself, but…" She hesitated.

"But?" Elsa prompted, not realizing that she was leaning forward in her seat.

Dahlia blinked once, a tiny smile on her face. "But you're not. You're just human."

Both of Elsa's eyebrows raised and she stood up. "You really think so? What made you decide differently? How do you know that this isn't just a rouse to lure you right into my trap?"

"Because you clearly care for your sister and your kingdom," she murmured, making Elsa pause. "Otherwise you wouldn't be meeting with suitors; no one wants an arranged marriage."

Elsa let out a little sound of surprise, waving a hand to melt any ice spikes that had arisen with the suitors coming in until there wasn't any ice to be seen. She looked back to Dahlia, stepping down from the raised platform her throne stood on. "You're right. The scary Ice Queen thing isn't really… who I am. Just ask my sister…" She chuckled lightly at the thought of Anna storming in. "She's almost scarier than I am."

Dahlia laughed quietly. "Sounds like my brother."

Elsa smiled. "You're different. You're not afraid of me like many others seem to be." She thought for a second. "Would you like to have morning tea with me? At around nine o'clock tomorrow."

Dahlia nodded. "I would like nothing better."

;;;

"So! Tell me everything!" Anna blurted over dinner. "How were the suitors?"

Elsa blinked. "They were okay, I guess. None of them stood out as anything spectacular. Except…"

Anna leaned forward. "What? _What?_ Elsa, tell me!"

Elsa's lips twitched in the beginnings of a smirk. Her sister was still like a child. "Well, one of the suitors, the last one, was certainly interesting. It was a young woman –"

"A _woman_?!" Anna blurted. "Why was a woman there?"

"She gave the excuse that she was an ambassador for a prince who couldn't make it."

"An excuse? What was the real reason?"

"Anna, please, just let me continue. She was a young woman from the Southern Isles –"

Anna nearly tipped her chair over as she leaped up from her seat. " _What_?! That… that council of yours would send one of Hans's siblings over after everything that happened?! Why, I'm going to go over and give them a piece –"

Elsa stood up quickly, rushing over to her sister. "No, Anna, wait. Let me finish first." Anna sat back down, but didn't look as calm as Elsa wanted her to. "It was a young woman from the Southern Isles, but she isn't related to Hans at all. She isn't even of royal blood. She said she is a bookkeeper and had learned about me that way. And… probably from tales that are told about me…" Elsa added a bit more quietly.

"How do we know she isn't lying?" Anna asked, frowning. "She really could be related to Hans for all we know."

"If she was, do you think she would have admitted to being from the Southern Isles at all?" Elsa countered.

Anna's expression changed between confusion and curiosity. "You really trust her?"

Elsa sighed, shrugging a little. "I don't know what it is… but yes, I do. I'm meeting her for morning tea tomorrow."

"Alright, fine. But you _will_ tell me everything after," Anna announced, stabbing her fork into a small potato, "or I'll just have to pry it from you some other way."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, chuckling at her sister's almost haughty expression. "Alright, then. I'll tell you."

;;;

The next day, Elsa found herself excited to see the strange young woman again, though not enough to rush through her make-up. She walked down the hall to the library – easily Elsa's favourite place in the entire castle – and opened the doors to see Dahlia already sitting there.

Elsa frowned a little. "Have you had to wait for long?"

Dahlia shook her head. "Only a few minutes; I just got here." She smiled. "Wearing the same dress again, I see."

Elsa looked down at her ice dress. "It's my favourite one," she confessed. "Plus, it's the most comfortable one I have." Dahlia was still dressed like a man, but had more earth tones and didn't have her overcoat. She wore a tan shirt that stopped at the elbows, brown leggings, and comfortable-looking light brown boots. "Why do you dress like a man?"

Dahlia glanced down at herself and shrugged. "I figure it's more practical. That way I don't have skirts swishing about my feet when I'm trying to reach a place quickly."

Elsa smirked a little, sitting across from her. "I suppose that makes sense." She reached for the teapot. "I must apologize for my actions yesterday afternoon. I acted out of turn, and I shouldn't have."

Dahlia shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. I'm sure I would have acted the same."

Elsa nodded, that tiny smile returning. "Did you sleep alright in your room?"

Dahlia nodded. "It was nice to have silence in place of my brother's incessant snoring."

Elsa let out a sudden laugh before her hand covered her mouth. "Does your brother share a room with you?"

Dahlia shook her head. "He sleeps in the next room over, but his snoring is so loud, I'm surprised you don't hear it over here in Arendelle!"

Elsa laughed a little again. "How much more family do you have?"

Dahlia's expression darkened for a second before she hid it behind her teacup. "Just me, my brother, and my father. My mother passed away a long time ago, and I never had any other siblings. But enough about them, tell me about you! I traveled a long way to find out more about the mysterious Ice Queen of Arendelle." Dahlia set her chin on a hand. "What's this queen like?"

Elsa suddenly felt odd. She had never talked about herself to anyone besides Anna, who already knew so much about her. She hesitated, looking down at the steam coming from her tea and pulled her gloved hands in closer to her.

"If you don't want to talk about seriously personal things, we could just play something my brother and I used to play when we were children," Dahlia suggested.

"What's that?" Elsa asked.

"Twenty Questions, but you have to ask each other questions back and forth," Dahlia explained. "For example, I would ask you what your favourite colour was, and you would answer…" Dahlia gestured to Elsa.

Elsa blinked rapidly. "Oh! Um… blue. True blue specifically." She paused. "And then I would go?"

Dahlia grinned and nodded encouragingly. "Yes! You go. If you want to answer the questions you give, you can do that too. My favourite colour is purple. Deep mountain purple."

Elsa thought for a second. "What's your favourite animal?" She hesitated again. "Sorry, that one's stupid…"

"No! I like that one. Hmm." Dahlia tapped a finger on her chin and Elsa took another sip of tea. "Snow leopard. They're so pretty. And they're a form of cat." She grinned at that.

Elsa chuckled. "You like cats?"

"I _love_ them! Probably way too much for their own good. My cat, Tori, sure knows I love her. You?"

"I love them as well. I would say, however, that my favourite animal would have to be a timber wolf. Their howls are so haunting at night, and the way the moon makes their pelts look silver is so majestic."

Elsa smiled at the thought of them, looking outside the window to the glistening snow outside and picturing a wolf silhouetted against a moon. When she looked back, Dahlia was grinning at her.

Elsa blinked again. "What?"

"You don't talk to many people, do you? People that you want to, that is."

Elsa shook her head. "Just my sister. Why?"

"Because it shows. You have a true love for art, but you've been keeping your head down working too hard that you don't know how to show your passions."

Elsa sat back in her chair. Dahlia was right. She looked around at the library. "This place was my only escape," she confessed. "A world between other worlds."

Dahlia stood. "Which one is your favourite? Show it to me."

Elsa nearly jumped to her feet in excitement. She led Dahlia to the back of the library where there was a little alcove. She reached down and pulled a large turquoise-coloured book out onto the floor and sat down beside it; Dahlia sat next to her.

"' _The World's Mythology_ '," Dahlia read from the cover. She looked up at Elsa. "You like myths?"

Elsa nodded, turning her gaze from Dahlia to the book. "I probably have it memorized by now, I've read it so much," she murmured with a chuckle. She ran her hand affectionately over the cover.

Dahlia glanced down and reached over, her hand pointing to Elsa's. "Why the gloves?" she asked softly.

Elsa's shoulders sagged. "The council wants me to wear them. To 'prevent another eternal winter' they said." She shook her head. "I've gotten used to them. I shouldn't have expected them to accept all of me…"

Dahlia took her hand back. "I'm sorry… I wish they would listen to you. But…"

"But…" Elsa sighed. "I'm not a man."

;;;

Elsa sighed as she walked back to her bedroom, opened the door, and closed it. She turned and nearly shrieked at the sight of her sister on her bed. Her eyes were wide, a giant grin on her face and her chin on her hands.

"So. How was the meeting?" Anna asked, her head bopping up and down on her hands.

"It… was… fine. Why are you sitting like that?" Elsa asked, placing her hand over her heart, trying to catch her breath. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry," Anna laughed. "So it went well? What did you talk about?"

"We talked a little bit about her life at home, and then we just… talked about ourselves and… yeah."

Anna smiled. "You seem happy so I guess it couldn't have gone that bad."

"You really thought it would go bad? I have my powers, Anna. I was perfectly safe."

Anna's smile faded as she looked down. Elsa followed her gaze to her gloves. "Why are you wearing them?" she whispered.

Elsa frowned. "Anna…"

"Don't you say that you chose to put them on." Anna's voice grew angry. "Because I won't believe you."

"No… it was my council," Elsa murmured. "They wanted to make sure no one would… be hurt again."

"Those men are a bunch of…" Anna's face contorted as she tried to think of some sort of insult, " _men_ ," she finally stated.

That put a smile on Elsa's face again. "Yes," she laughed softly, "men are often men."

Anna tossed a pillow at her sister, hitting her in the face. "You!"

;;;

Elsa walked down to the library, opening the giant oak doors. She quickly noticed a teapot on one of the tables, her brow furrowing slightly. It shouldn't matter that someone else was here, but at the same time, who was in the castle that would want to have tea in the library? She peeked around one of the bookshelves, spotting Dahlia sitting on the ground with a teacup next to her and a large book on her lap.

"Dahlia?" Elsa asked.

Dahlia turned her head to look at Elsa, her eyes widening. "Your Majesty!" She shut the book quickly and placed it on the ground, scrambling to get up. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you would be coming in this morning."

Elsa raised a hand. "Don't worry about it. I only came here to find a file." Her gaze caught on the familiar turquoise of the book of mythology. "You're reading that?"

Dahlia looked back at the book. "Yes." She turned back to Elsa. "Is that alright? If you would rather I didn't read your favourite book, I can just put it back."

"Wh-no! I don't care whether you read it or not," Elsa protested. "If anything, I'm surprised you _want_ to read it."

Dahlia shrugged, smiling. "I want to know why you like it so much. One of the pages is bookmarked, I see."

Elsa flushed. "Don't worry about that one. It's… stupid."

Dahlia's brow crinkled. "No, it's not… it's about… people like you. Wanting to know if there's people like you isn't wrong. I understand."

Elsa smiled hesitantly. "Thank you."

Dahlia smiled back, turning. Her toe touched the teacup and sent it tipping, tea spilling toward the book. Elsa reached out with her hand, trying to send her power out to freeze the tea, but forgot she had her glove on. Dahlia rushed over, saving the book just in time.

Elsa clenched a fist, glaring at her gloved hand for a split second before looking back up to Dahlia. "Thank you."

Dahlia dipped her head. "My pleasure, Your Majesty."

"Elsa," Elsa corrected. "My name is Elsa."

Dahlia met Elsa's light blue eyes with her own very dark blue ones. "Alright, Elsa."

;;;

"I still can't believe you're doing this," Anna laughed, a hand to her face.

"Doing what?" Elsa asked as she conjured up shoes. "It's a formal dinner."

"Yeah, yeah, a formal dinner that means nothing, sure." Anna waved a hand. She sighed, walking up to Elsa from behind. "At least let me help." She unbraided her sister's hair, draping it around her shoulders and smiling at her in the mirror. "There. Perfectly formal."

Elsa looked down at the deep purple gown that she had created, covered in tiny glittering snowflakes, some of them bigger than the rest. There wasn't a train, but the back of the dress was a bit longer. She glanced up at her reflection, her eyes widening at how much she seemed to change with her hair down.

"No, I can't go like this. Let me put it into a bun or something." Elsa looked around, reaching for her brush, but Anna caught her wrist.

"No. You're going like this." She stared at the gloves on her older sister's hands. "At least they're pretty," she murmured.

Elsa lifted her hands to look at the gloves that matched her dress. "The blue didn't match," she said simply. She glanced at the clock. "I have to go or I'll be late. Thanks for everything, Anna. You're amazing."

As she started toward the dining room, Jorn stepped in her path. "Your Majesty, I feel that we should talk."

Steeling herself, Elsa frowned. "What about?"

"You are not giving attention to any of the many suitors that we have arranged to meet you," he said. "Your Council believes that you should seek a meeting with them."

Elsa raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "I am meeting with the ambassador from the Southern Isles," she stated evenly. "In fact, tonight I have a dinner meeting with her. In a few minutes to be precise. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be going to that." She stepped around the much older man.

"Queen Elsa, we do not believe it is in your best interest to be meeting with this woman." Elsa stopped at the way he said the word. "We believe you should be meeting with the much more eligible _men_ that have made the journey to see you."

Elsa half turned so she could face him, her body turned away. "I think that I would know my own best interests, thank you."

"But, Your Majesty, think of the kingdom –"

"I _am_ ," she interjected. "You are dismissed, Jorn."

Elsa could practically hear the steam coming out of his ears as he spun around and went back the way Elsa had come. With a quick sigh, Elsa shook her head, continuing on.

Elsa walked quickly down the hall to the dining room, opening the doors to spot Dahlia already there; she was dressed in blue this time. "I'm sorry for being late; I was caught up in something."

Dahlia smiled slightly. "The queen is never late, everyone else is simply early."

Elsa felt her face get warm. "Oh, I don't know about that; I'm still late." She gestured with her hand to the seat across from hers. "Shall we?"

Dahlia nodded. "Can I ask what it was that you were caught up with?"

Elsa sighed, her shoulders sagging as she relaxed the smallest bit. "One of my council members was trying to convince me to give a hearing to 'many of the other eligible suitors'," Elsa air-quoted. She shook her head.

"They don't like that you're meeting with me?" Dahlia surmised.

"Right."

"If it's getting you in trouble, we don't have to keep meeting," Dahlia offered.

"No, no. I'm the queen, they're there to listen to me, or to give me advice if I ask for it. If I ask for it," she repeated for emphasis. "But lately, it seems that they want to run the kingdom and think they would do a better job of it than me."

"Because you're a woman," Dahlia finished. "They take away the power of the crown from you in any decision they make without you, besides that they remove your actual power by forcing you to wear those gloves."

Elsa's brow furrowed. "What makes you think they make decisions without me?"

Dahlia raised an eyebrow, a tiny smirk on her face. "From what I've learned of you in these few days, I know you wouldn't have asked these suitors to come on your own volition. I believe that they were asked to come without you even knowing. Am I right?"

Elsa nodded with another sigh. "You're right. They want an heir. Barely four months into my rule, and they're already thinking about my death."

Dahlia frowned. "Why don't you just remove them?"

Elsa shook her head. "It's not that easy. My father is the one who put those men into office. I've tried to find a way to remove them, but everything I try comes against a wall."

"But you're the queen, aren't you? The head of everything?" Dahlia pointed out. "If there's something in the way, it's probably because that council of yours are the ones who put it there."

"I don't know if I would be able to remove it," Elsa whispered honestly. "They're the last thing I have of my father. He had to have put them in power for a reason."

"But that was in your father's time. Things have changed since then. Now, it's your turn," Dahlia said quietly.

Elsa looked up, smiling slightly. "You're right. Now I just have to find a way to do that…"

;;;

"Well, _someone's_ awfully happy this evening!" Anna remarked as Elsa returned to her room. "The dinner went well, then?"

Elsa looked to her sister. "How come you're always in here? Do you just live in here now?"

Anna shrugged. "This is where all the interesting things are happening, and besides, trying to convince Kristoff that chocolate is the best thing in existence gets tiring after a while. What happened?"

"The dinner went well," Elsa stated, pulling off her gloves. "That's all there is to say."

Anna gave a knowing giggle. "Alright then… I see what's going on…"

Elsa frowned, turning back to her sister. "What? What's going on? What's with that face?"

"You like her, don't you?"

Elsa's eyes flew wide open. " _What_?! What are you talking about? Of course I do, she's my friend."

"Nothing more?" Anna wiggled her eyebrows.

"No," Elsa finalized. "Nothing more."

"Are you quite sure about that? Because that's what I thought about Kristoff… and that's how I acted around him… and that's –"

"Alright, Anna. I get your point, but no. There's nothing more between Dahlia and I."

Anna clapped her hands together, laughing. "You're on a first name basis! That's great! You'll have to let me know how this 'friendship' goes then," Anna said, accentuating the air with air quotes.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I will. If anything happens, which it won't, you'll be the first person I tell."

;;;

Elsa strode into her council room, her head held high. This time it had been _she_ who had called the meeting, and she had arrived early, just as she had hoped. She stood at the head of the table as her council trickled in, her gloved hands folded in front of her. She had decided on the most Arendellian outfit she could conjure: black, green, and purple; the colours of Arendelle. The ice tiara was a symbol of her leadership and her power, her hair done up in a bun.

"Thank you for coming," Elsa began once everyone had arrived. "I have called this meeting to discuss the state of this council. A royal council is supposed to support its ruler and give advice when they ask for it. No decision is made without the ruler, and any ideas the council comes up with is also supposed to go through the ruler. This has not happened in the few months of my leadership. You have not supported me, and have made decisions without my knowledge or input. It has put Arendelle in jeopardy and I cannot have that." Elsa raised her hand for silence as the council began raising protests. "Since I have become queen, there have been many positives in relation to trade and relationships with other kingdoms, but you have chosen to ignore me. Therefor, I am abolishing this council, effective immediately. Please vacate the castle with all of your belongings and find employment elsewhere."

"Queen Elsa, you can't be serious," Jorn protested, standing from his chair. "You need your council."

Elsa turned her gaze over to him. "I need you like I need a thorn in my foot. Leave." She turned to go, but someone caught her wrist. She frowned, turning to see Eric clutching it. "Let go of me," she ordered, trying to keep the shake from her voice.

"Queen Elsa, please consider what you're doing," Eric demanded. "We have been in this council since before you were born. We know Arendelle better than you ever will. You cannot simply just discharge us without reason."

"I have a reason," Elsa answered. "You may have been what my father needed, but you are not what I need. Now let me go."

Jorn walked over and stood with Eric, cornering Elsa. "Not until you agree to our demands."

Elsa tried yanking her wrist away, but Eric's grasp was far too strong. She tried to keep a level head, but panic began to set in without her wanting it to. She reached with her other hand, thinking that maybe if she could get her glove off, she could protect herself, but Eric caught that hand as well.

Fear began rising in Elsa's chest, and the room began to grow colder. Wind suddenly began whipping around the room, flurries of snow quickly becoming a blizzard that spun around Elsa and those surrounding her. The men grimaced as they tried to shield themselves from Elsa's magic, but it wouldn't ease up. Eric cried out as his hands began to frost over and he let go of Elsa's wrists enough for her to stumble back and yank the dreaded gloves off her hands and toss them away.

The snow lessened and simply spun around Elsa, lifting her purple cloak around her. "You are all arrested on account of high treason," Elsa said, regaining her voice. "Guards! Bring them to the dungeon at once."

Guards burst in through the doors, glancing at the frost covering the room for a second before doing as their queen had ordered, taking hold of the twelve men that had made up her council. Elsa watched them go, heard their cries and pleas of mercy, but shut them out.

"Elsa? What happened?" Elsa turned to see Dahlia standing at the doors before her knees caved in underneath her and she fell to the floor. "Elsa!"

;;;

Elsa blinked her eyes open in her bedroom. "What happened?"

Dahlia turned to her. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine. What happened?" Elsa repeated.

"You passed out," Anna answered, walking over and sitting on her bed. "What happened in your council room? Dahlia said it was covered in ice and frost."

Elsa sat up. "They attacked me. I removed them from office and they said I couldn't do that." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I guess my powers kicked in to protect me despite me wearing gloves."

"Are they gone now?" Dahlia asked.

Elsa nodded. "They're going to be spending a long time in the dungeon on a charge of high treason."

Anna nodded. "Good. I should hope so."

Dahlia smiled, standing from the chair she had been sitting in. "I'll leave you two sisters alone."

Elsa watched Dahlia leave the room, a little disappointed that she hadn't stayed.

"Dahlia was the one who found you after everything," Anna murmured. "She half-carried you back here before you passed out. I think she really cares about you."

Elsa looked to her sister. "You really think so?"

Anna let out a little laugh. "I do. She's not just a simple curious bookkeeper anymore." There was a slight pause before she spoke again. "What are you going to do now?"

Elsa sighed. "I'll have to make a new council, made up of people I choose myself. They don't have to be nobles, either. I know that many people need help, not just the ten percent who own the most land or have the most money; everyone does."

"What about the suitors?"

"They will all be sent back. I had no interest in meeting with any of them anyway."

"All of them?"

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"I mean that Dahlia was one of the suitors," Anna reminded her. "Are you sending her away too?"

Elsa stared at her hands. "I'll give her the option. If she doesn't want to leave, then she can stay here in the castle. But if she does want to return home, then I won't say anything."

The next morning, Elsa met Dahlia in the library for their morning tea.

"Thank you for meeting me," Elsa said, sitting down.

"Of course," Dahlia answered. "Is something wrong?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not exactly. I'm sending all the suitors back."

"I see." Dahlia paused. "And you want me to go with them?"

"I'm asking you to stay," Elsa countered quietly. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but know that there is always a place here for you in Arendelle."

Dahlia smiled. "Thank you. I would like to stay, at least for a little while." Her smile faded as she looked down at the table and Elsa followed her gaze to her gloves. "Why are you wearing them again? I'm not scared of you."

Elsa looked up. "Considering yesterday, maybe you should be," she murmured. "I don't want to hurt you, so this is the safer option."

Dahlia reached across the small table, hesitated for a second, then took Elsa's hand, pulling the glove off in one swift motion. She extended her arm and spread her fingers so both hers and Elsa's hands were palm to palm.

She looked up to meet Elsa's eyes. "I'm not scared of you," she repeated.

Elsa's mouth dropped open slightly at the contact, staring at their hands. "Why aren't you?"

Dahlia interlocked their fingers. "Because I know you would never hurt me."

Elsa tore her gaze from their hands to Dahlia's eyes. "Stay with me."

Dahlia smiled warmly. "I will."


	2. Kind of Important Author's Note

**So! I rewrote a lot of The Final Suitor if people wanted to know... you don't have to re-read it, but I personally think it's better than what it used to be.**

 **Anyway, thanks. You're all amazing, bye.**


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